Here’s a quick recap of some of the top headlines from around the NFL this past week:
- Browns Send Mayfield To Panthers: It took longer than all parties involved expected it to, but the Browns traded Baker Mayfield to the Panthers on Wednesday. The Browns received a conditional fifth-round pick in return, showing how much of a depreciated asset the former No. 1 overall pick had become this offseason. Mayfield reduced his salary by $3.5MM to facilitate the deal, while the Browns will absorb $10.5MM of his fifth-year option cost of $18.9MM. The swap marks the second consecutive offseason involving a top-three QB from the 2018 class for the Panthers, as they acquired Sam Darnold last year. The team plans on keeping both signal-callers in 2022.
- Raiders Hire New President: Continuing a decades-long line of historic personnel hires, the Raiders made Sandra Douglass Morgan the new team president. The former Nevada Gaming Control Board chairwoman becomes the first Black woman to hold that title in the NFL. The move comes amidst another round of workplace misconduct allegations against the franchise, which Morgan has already acknowledged. “I am not here to avoid or sidestep problems or concerns that need to be addressed,” she said in a letter to team employees. She replaces Dan Ventrelle as president, after the veteran exec claimed he was fired in May as a result of his decision to alert owner Mark Davis to the presence of a hostile workplace environment.
- Miller Nearly Chose Cowboys, Rams Over Bills: Von Miller gave the Bills a significant boost to their pass rush when he signed in Buffalo on a six-year, $120MM deal. Before doing so, he had an offer on the table from the Cowboys equal to the one Randy Gregory backed out of (five years, $70MM). Looking back, the future Hall of Famer said “I would have taken less to go to Dallas because it’s Dallas. But I wouldn’t take that much less.” At one point, he was also “90%” sure of staying in Los Angeles, after his Super-Bowl winning run with the Rams. Instead, he will try to earn a third ring with a third different franchise.
- Steelers Not Prepared To Top $20MM For Johnson? One of the top storylines this offseason has been the skyrocketing WR market, and the deals 2019 draftees have signed to continue driving up the cost of young stars at the position. In the case of Diontae Johnson, the Steelers aren’t expected to offer an extension valued at $20MM per season – the benchmark several receivers, including non-Pro Bowlers, have reached or eclipsed in recent months. If the team has reached a price point it is unwilling to extend beyond, the sense that 2022 could be the 26-year-old’s final campaign in Pittsburgh will only grow.
- Murphy To Step Aside In 2025: The Packers will have a new president in three years’ time. Mark Murphy confirmed that, as required by the clubs by-laws, he will be retiring in 2025, ending a tenure of sustained success for the franchise. Included in that stretch is the team’s fourth Super Bowl title, adding to Murphy’s personal collection of rings dating back to his playing career. “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as the Packers president,” he wrote to fans. “I plan on making the last three years as successful as possible, with multiple Super Bowl championships!”